New 2019 Mazda 3: performance and pricing details leaked

A leaked brochure from Mazda Slovakia has revealed performance specifications for the upcomingMazda3 ahead of its release. The model range consists of two petrol and one diesel variant, with prices starting from €19,990 (around £17,500) for the base model, climbing to €29,290 (roughly £26,000) for the range-topper.

TheSkyActiv-X motor features Spark Plug-Controlled Compression Ignition (SPCCI), which can use the plug to initiate the instant compression ignition that’s normal in adiesel engine. Mazda claims this system delivers improved response and the ability to run with a much leaner fuel mixture, as well as provide efficiency gains of up to 30 per cent over a regular petrol engine.

All three engines are available in hatchback and liftback body styles, with all being given the option of either a manual or an automatic gearbox. The range-toppingSkyactiv-X models can also be specced with all-wheel-drive. Whether or not the four-wheel-drive model will make it to the UK is yet to be confirmed.

New 2019 Mazda 3: design

Mazda’s designers have stuck closely to the looks of the Kai concept seen at last year’sTokyo show . The 3 has a fairly substantial front overhang, but the most noticeable element of its side profile is the thick C-pillar.

At 4,459mm long, the five-door hatch is half a centimetre shorter than theoutgoing 3 , but still considerably longer than aVW Golf . The Mazda’s wheelbase has grown, though, to 2,725mm, so it has over 100mm more than theVW between its two axles. This change is designed to improve cabin space, particularly for those occupying the rear seats.

The chassis continues to feature MacPherson struts at the front, but it gets simpler suspension at the rear, where a torsion beam replaces the existing model’s multi-link set-up.

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Inside, the 3 gets a well-timed makeover. A slab of coloured material now runs across the centre of the facia, and the air vents are positioned relatively low in the dash, too.

The infotainment display increases to 8.8 inches and has more of a widescreen layout. Its functions are still controlled by a rotary dial near the gearlever, but Mazda has yet to confirm if the existing system’s touchscreen functionality will also be carried over. Plus, there’s more adjustment in the front seats and the steering column, and the gearlever has been moved forward.

Mazda’s latest 3 introduces fresh safety and semi-autonomous equipment, including a traffic jam assistant which can accelerate, brake and steer in heavy traffic, and a driver monitoring system that uses infrared and LED cameras to watch everything from the driver’s eyelids to the angle of their face.

The new 3 is being introduced as a five-door and as a saloon – and sources suggest that both body styles will be offered in the UK, with the four-door being, in effect, a successor to the current 3 Fastback. The next-generation car should arrive in British dealers in early summer 2019.

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